Free chef-cooked brunches, live music and a pop-up winter clothing market rolled into Criterion House this weekend as a group of Hobart mates launched a grassroots response to the cost-of-living crunch.
‘Broke A$$ Brunch’ served hot breakfasts on Mathers Lane from 11am to 2pm on Saturday.
The launch event featured a resident DJ, a blues act, an open mic, spoken word performances and an art workshop.
A free market was also stocked with donated winter clothes and pantry staples.
Organiser Eamonn Miller said the idea came from watching people struggle to afford even a basic breakfast.
“I basically just felt the need … with the rising cost of groceries and the fact that people just can’t afford a nice breakfast these days,” Miller said.
“I see people go to the Sunday market and chow down on expensive food and a lot of people just can’t manage that.”
Miller said he wanted to create something free and fun, with no ties to charities, religious groups or government.
He described the event as a grassroots collective rather than a charity.
“[I] just touched base with a few like-minded fellows and it all just came together,” he said.
“We got a kitchen organised, we got all the food organised, we got a chef to come prepare it.”
The event is run by a core team of three – Miller, chef Jai and Christian, who runs the space – along with a handful of volunteers.
The brunch will feature a set menu, with orders taken one-on-one by volunteers and freshly prepared on site.
Miller said removing the stigma often associated with free food services was a priority.
He said he was “trying to steer away from charity” having a “stigma of shame or lack of dignity”.
Miller said the brunch wasn’t just about the food. He also wants to tackle isolation as winter sets in.
“It tackles the idea of it getting colder and people maybe being a bit more isolated these days and not having the means to get out and socialise,” he said.
Miller said he hopes to make it a regular event but will gauge how the first one goes.
